The Queen of Hearts
by clockwork starlight
Summary: She made some... Valentines. V-Day Request Collection of the SasuHina flavor, because there were enough that I felt the need to lump them all into this.
1. zuul: Out of the Blue

zuul  
Series: Naruto  
Ship: Sasuke x Hinata  
Preferred Rating:  
Theme(s): Hinata(teacher) sasuke(student)

* * *

Out of the Blue

She said she taught English because it forced her to be able to talk to people. He knows this is a lie, because she told him and his brother after the first day of class that she liked the language, and was a fan of reading Shakespeare in its original form. Sasuke is only a little jealous of Itachi, because Itachi was two back and one left of Hinata's seat in class, and undoubtedly Hinata wore school uniforms very well. Now she wears long skirts and turtlenecks and her hair is scraped into a bun and it's really disappointing when he thinks about it, considering her alma mater encouraged short skirts and knee socks and she used to have short hair that exposed her neck. He might like her because she can be so impassioned about things, like stray cats and libraries and doing long division by hand. He might like her because he grew up two doors away from her, and after his mother died she'd sneak over and make hot chocolate for them. It might be because she is soft-spoken and pretty and mostly unable to take a joke. It might be because no matter how often she came over to study with Itachi or try to prevent him from burning down the kitchen, she never fell in love with him. Whatever the reason, it's only natural that he found himself with a crush on his homeroom teacher, who was inconveniently six years older than him, prim, proper and inhumanly shy when she wasn't at a blackboard.He thinks about confessing to her on Valentine's Day, because all the girls will be hunting him down or trying their luck elsewhere, and no one would expect him to be in the classroom with the unfortunately awkward English teacher. He has a plan, one that involves leaving and circling back to confuse the vultures, pretending he forgot something, and hopefully catching her alone, before she leaves to go home. He should have known it would never have worked."Sasuke-kun, could you stay behind for a little bit?" She asks it so freely, like she doesn't care that he's been worrying about pulling this maneuver off for _hours_. She waits for all the stragglers to leave and opens the bottom drawer of her desk. She pulls out a sheaf of papers, and hands them to him, smiling brightly. "Thank you for helping me correct these, it makes it so much easier to grade when I don't have to scan for mistakes as well as analyze the writing.""You made me stay behind for this?" He doesn't mind, but he's used to being difficult and she has yet to raise her voice against him.  
"I thought you might like a rest from confessions today. Also," she reaches into her bag and fishes out a familiar blue wrapped box. "Here's this year's. I used more dark chocolate, so it shouldn't be as sweet— Sasuke-kun?"  
He looks at her silently, because she has been like this for as long as he can remember, and it does nothing toward making him fall _out_ of love with her.   
"Oi, teacher."  
"Yes?" She waits expectantly, thinking he's finally hit a rebellious stage and is taking it out on the only mother figure he has.  
"I like you."  
Her face turns red almost immediately, and her hands clamp over her mouth automatically. "_What?_"  
"I like you," he repeats matter-of-factly, "and when I graduate, I'm going to ask you to go out with me for real."  
"Sasuke-kun, you can't be serious. That's—"  
"That's how it is. It's mostly your fault, you know." He takes his chocolate and shoves it into a pocket, not caring too much that his teacher might be having a heart attack.  
"B-but I'm a… and y-you're my…" She stutters, and he leans closer to stare at her in cool nonchalance, thinking yet again that she certainly doesn't act like she's twenty-three, and it really is quite cute. "Sasuke, are you listening to me?"  
"Not really."  
"You're being unreasonable; you haven't met the right girl yet, so please don't—"  
"I haven't met the right girl yet, because you're so much better than them, Hinata. I'm not six, I can think for myself now."  
He's almost close enough to kiss, which is much more than close enough to argue, but she's quickly losing track of what she should be doing to gently discourage him. Though she realizes now that gentle discouragement will probably never work for Uchiha Sasuke. He pulls away and casually slings his coat over his shoulder.  
"Graduation," he reminds her, a deadline for her to sort out her feelings, and leaves with the week's homework. He's looking forward to class tomorrow.


	2. esra: Valentine Chaos

esra  
Title: Valentine Chaos  
Series: naruto,  
Ship: sasukexhinata, saixino, shikamaruxtemari, nejixtenten, narutoxsakura  
Preferred Rating: PG  
Theme(s): lost, mixed gifts, broken umbrella (liked this idea), crushed chocolates  
Genre: romantic comedy  
events happen in one place (like a cafe, or school ground, train station...etc) with all these pairings are in but not together. some could be lovers some were not pairings but trying to confes.

* * *

Ten Ten worked the afternoon shift at the Fourth Avenue Café. It was close to school and the train station, so most days she didn't have to run to get there on time, the pay was decent and the uniform was cute. It was a nice little bistro, with soft watercolors hanging on the walls and pale blue benches and tables. The tea was never too sweet, and the coffee was always hot, and on Valentine's Day she served over a dozen heart-shaped cakes in under an hour.  
The blonde girl was very pretty, and very nervous. Ten Ten was only cleaning the table, but the girl spilled out a hurried 'Hi I'm Ino, I need your help'. Ten Ten warily agreed, and was relieved to learn that all she had to do was keep a lookout for Ino's date, who she described as 'absolutely gorgeous, dark hair, kind of on the pale side, and an attitude like you wouldn't believe'.  
Ten Ten smiled welcomingly at Hinata, who had worked here for a week before the manager had pity on her nerves and let her go, since the stress of dealing with certain kinds of customers in a short, frilly dress had caused her to almost pass out on more than one occasion. Now Hinata was just a regular, who shyly asked for a two person table today. Ten Ten gave her an encouraging smile and went to get her a tea set.  
Sullen black eyes stared back at her while she rattled off her welcome. Mentally she went over the list. He had the looks, the dark hair, pasty white skin, and an attitude, oh yes. She forced a grin and said wanly 'Why don't I show you to your table?' She was about to open the door to the patio seats, where Ino was sitting, when a chair scraped against the ground, followed by a startled 'eep' and a crash distracted them. Hinata looked up piteously at the boy.  
"Sasuke-kun… I'm so sorry. I tripped over your present. Now the chocolates will be all crushed, and—"  
Ten Ten blinked as the boy pretty much disappeared from her side to reappear next to Hinata, lowly asking if she was alright, never mind the chocolate, fine, if it mattered that freaking much, she could pay for lunch. He caught Ten Ten's eye on the last word, and she nodded slightly, wondering if she ought to be glad Hinata had found a boyfriend who understood her well enough to take advantage of her trusting naiveté. Hinata hadn't quite figured out that even people who liked you would lie to you.  
"Sakura-chan!" Ten Ten couldn't help but smile at the familiar voice. Its owner frequented the café for one reason only. Well, two, but only because Naruto liked to have a cup of tea with his dessert after a ramen massacre. The main reason had pink hair that matched the ribbons trimming the Café aprons. "Sakura-chan, I've got a present for you. Oh and can I have the A set?"  
"Na-ru-to," Sakura pronounced the word with venom.   
"But Sakura-chan, I got gift cards for that clothing store you like."  
She took the bright colored plastic and her other hand tightened on the tray. "_Na-ru-to_, what the crap is this?"  
Ten Ten didn't need to look up from wiping crumbs off the table to know there would be violence soon.   
Naruto looked in confusion at the _Ichiraku Ramen_ lettered on the card.  
"Ah ah, I must have put it… wait just a second, it's got to be around here somewhere… Found it!" He didn't sound relieved so much as overwhelmed with gratitude. Sakura gave him a baleful glare and stalked off to the kitchen to get his order. Ten Ten wondered when she would get around to admitting she enjoyed his attentions, annoying as they could be.  
There was a boy waiting to be seated, so she hurried over. He looked exceedingly bored with his lot in life.  
"Hi, welcome-"  
"Yeah, whatever, I'm looking for my… date," he scowled at the foreign feel of the word. "I'm late, so she's probably already here. She's pushy and blonde and kinda loud…"  
Ten Ten's shop smile was more than a little strained, but she managed to get her 'I think I might have seen her, if you'll follow me please' out with minimal damage.  
She caught a glimpse of Hinata trying to get her boy to let go of a spoon, the other forgotten on the floor. Sasuke seemed to be having fun resisting, and told her to open her mouth if she wanted her cake, because she couldn't have his spoon. Before she led her charge to Ino's table, she pointed at the fidgeting girl and asked if that was her, hoping the glare of the glass prevented any other patrons seeing her be so rude.  
"Wrong loud pushy blonde," he asserted. "Mine's a little more…"  
"Yours is a little more _what_ Shikamaru?" came a voice from behind them.  
"Temari," he exclaimed weakly. "I uh… just got here."  
"Figured as much. Which is why I told you to get here an hour before I planned on being ready. I found another lost boyfriend too." The tall blonde jabbed her thumb at a ghostly pale face framed by black hair. He smiled blankly at them and caught sight of the flaxen head outside.  
"Thank you for directing me here. I'd never have found this girly little place on my own. If you'll excuse me, I think that one's mine."  
Ten Ten fought the urge the throw her order pad at his head as he walked out to the patio. Ino sparkling up at him, and the sounds of barely contained Sakura-fury helped her refocus, and she led the new pair to another booth.

Ten Ten removed her apron with a sigh. The rain pattered on the roof, audible despite the ruckus the others were making in the hallway. She was really tired after a hard day's work, and she just wanted to go home and take a hot bath. She looked dejectedly at the cake she'd been allowed to take from the kitchen, thinking it just wouldn't be the same to give it to him tomorrow. She unsnapped the button of her umbrella and prepared herself to face the onslaught of weather. She took a step through the door and her little collapsible umbrella was blown inside out. She bit back a curse and struggled to protect the cake box from getting too wet.  
"Hey."  
"Neji!" Ten Ten had to swallow another expletive. She was tired and unhappy and the boy she liked had been waiting for her, and it left her bewildered and off balance.  
"Hinata… mentioned you were working today, and she said Tsunade-san probably wouldn't let you go till late, so I thought I'd walk you home or something…" Neji looked as close to uncomfortable as Ten Ten had ever seen him and that tipped her courage further.  
"Here, this is for you." She thrust the cake box at him with a hesitant smile.  
"Thanks. Happy Valentine's, I guess."


	3. july: Herculean Efforts

July-winter  
Series: Naruto  
Ship: Sasuke x Hinata  
Preferred Rating: T  
Theme(s): honeymoon and Hiashi and the thin shoji in between  
Genre: Romantic Comedy

* * *

Herculean Efforts

Honestly, was it supposed to be so difficult to be young and in love and a pain in your in-laws' side? Uchiha Sasuke was learning the hard way that marriage at such an early age was frustrating and arduous and full of unexpected discomfort. All because most of Hinata's more obnoxious relatives were still alive. And they all glared bloody murder at him whenever they saw him. It meant not being able to walk around the market place without feeling killing intent prickling at him from eight blocks away. It reminded him of the time Hinata's less-than-hygienic teammates thought they should pull the Uchiha Avenger aside for a little chat regarding his supposed mistreatment of their princess. It resulted in a cracked rib, a bruised eye, and fleas.  
He really was grateful for the sunshine breaking through clouds of red, and not worrying about what might have gone into his food, and having someone who knew how to listen; tying the knot had more perks than he would have credited to something that was essentially an emotional leash. Hinata was the best thing to happen to him, it was all the baggage that came with having the right to say she was _his_ that was the issue. He was getting really sick of having relatives again. And Hinata clasped around his arm, while it was something he privately admitted as relaxing in easy familiarity, it was also something that apparently made him less unapproachable; old women had no qualms about wandering up to them and starting up conversations about events he had no recollection of but that Hinata was well-versed in, merchants redoubled their efforts to promote their wares, and small boys tended to try and kick his shins for taking away the Academy's teacher princess. If it wouldn't mean a cold bed for over a week, he might have dropped less subtle hints about Uchihas and their genocidal tendencies.  
Fortunately Sasuke wasn't his class genius for nothing. It wasn't hard to convince the Hokage that Hinata was over-worked and too nice to complain.  
How the hell had he been supposed to know that the week he had chosen to spend some _quality_ time with his wife at a luxury resort in Silk country all the ANBU swore by, was the same week the Hyuuga head and her entourage were going to play politics, also in Silk Country, also staying at a luxury resort that the Daimyo had insisted they spend at least one night at?

Sayako had the misfortune of being behind the counter when the large party arrived. The dreamiest face she had ever seen detached itself from the horde, dragging an elegant, if unwilling, woman away from her conversation with a girl who had to be her sister.  
"How many in your party?" she asked, mentally counting how many boys were going to be needed to haul all the baggage.  
"Just the two of us please. _They_ are not with us." Sayako had to hide her disappointment, which she wasn't technically supposed to have, as this wasn't that kind of establishment.  
"Let me ah… look for some—"  
"Do you have a honeymoon suite?" the man snapped suddenly, as if something occurred to him. "One that takes up an entire floor, preferably?" He glared at his companion, who had opened her mouth to protest. "Don't argue. I don't feel like any of your family's 'friendly visits' on their way to the ice machine. Do you?" he turned his attention back to the trembling clerk  
"Right away, sir," Sayako squeaked, handing over keys and receipt in record time. "Thank you for your patronage, next?"  
From the look of the man who approached, he was also displeased and also related to the other woman. He looked possibly even more cranky than her first customer. Sayako thought about finding a new job.

By the time she, her supervisor, the manager and the owner had _finally_ submit to their demands in a way that was acceptable to the Hyuuga and not completely crippling to the resort, Sayako was thinking desperately about a new job, because at twenty-something, it was entirely too much stress to be expected to _cope_ with the chilling glare of three Konohagakure nobles over _room arrangements_. The resort had ended up renting out half of their guestrooms to the Hyuuga party, including the room next to the honeymoon suite. Having checked and double-checked the name on the hotel records, Sayako was confident that the last Uchiha should be more than capable of surviving his erm… in-laws, and if he wasn't, well ninja skills also included disappearing strategies, right?

Uchiha Sasuke and Hinata returned from lunch to their room to find Hyuuga Hanabi outside of their door raising her hand to knock.  
"Nee-san We've got the room next to you! And guess what, apparently this whole floor was once one room, for when they had royalty I guess. But now, there's only a courtesy _shoji_ between our room and yours. This is going to be fun, just like before _hahaue_ died. We can play cards and-"  
Hinata glanced apprehensively at her husband, whose eyes were slowly but surely bleeding to red.  
"That's wonderful Hanabi, Sasuke and I have to run, we reserved a room downstairs for the deep massage therapy." She all but dragged him inside and shut the door behind them, ignoring her sister's objections.

Hiashi, who was meditating in his room, heard a door slam and low voices apparently having an argument. Since he was meditating, he wasn't trying to listen, but he heard pieces of the conversation all the same.  
"Hinata, do we have to do this now?"  
"B-but you promised me we would once we got here."  
"Fine, but remember, you said it wouldn't be embarrassing, and it wouldn't hurt more than usual."  
"I said it wasn't supposed to— w-wait, you don't need to change into your nice robes, you're not going to be wearing anything in fifteen minutes."  
Hanabi chose that moment to enter the room, and so anything else Hiashi might have heard was lost to his second daughter's grumbling.

Hinata and Sasuke spent over an hour in the hot springs after having their every muscle reduced to jelly. When they recovered enough to move they staggered back and collapsed in a heap on the bed.

Hiashi had had to find his center and clear his mind a dozen times after his daughter left, and was several hours into his renewed meditation when…  
"Do you feel better now?"  
"I didn't even know those places _could_ get sore until after this."  
"But it's a good pain, the kind like after intense training that means you'll do better next time."  
"Don't care, that was the last time anyone but you touches me there."  
"B-but I'm not nearly skilled enough to get points _that_ deep."  
"If it's you, anything is fine. After all that I'm hungry."  
"Should we ask my family if they—"  
"Hinata, if you move one step from this bed, I will set the entire place on fire. We have room service, and I fully intend to use it."  
"Y-yes, Sasuke."  
"I'm amazed you can even think about leaving the room. And you wanted to do that at least once a day while we were here?"  
"I didn't think it would be so intense. We may have to cancel the family luncheon tomorrow."  
"I'm perfectly fine with that."

Hinata was too tired to argue, so she settled for batting at his shoulder weakly. Sasuke had dinner sent up and the Uchiha couple retired early that night. Or tried to. Every inch of them was a fingerspan away from aching in a painful way, so they spent a great deal of time shifting into more comfortable positions.

Hiashi gave up trying to concentrate after half an hour of bedsprings creaking and left to prepare his diplomatic tactics over sake. Preferably a lot of it.


	4. sinisthesia: Tinted Red

Sinisthesia  
Series: Naruto  
Ship: Sasuke x Hinata  
** Preferred Rating: R**  
Themes: Abstract Existence, Drowning in Clouds, Masquerades

To be taken after your recommended dosage of Shades of Grey.

* * *

Tinted Red 

She wondered at the point of it all. It must have been something Hanabi decided would be an abuse of power no one would complain about. A masquerade ball for Valentine's Day. Like most of the friends they had weren't already pretending to be something they weren't. Hanabi had essentially thrown all the doors and windows and ventilation shafts wide open to allow everyone and everything in a twenty kilometer radius to come eat, drink, be merry and trash a public park, all on the Hyuuga tab. It was sound, if expensive politics.  
Hanabi reasoned her way gave Love a sniper's chance at success, since there would be thousands of people and things all in masks. Not that Hinata would be able to see the festivity of it all, but it would supposedly be fun. For who, she neglected to say. She should have known things would have gone downhill from there.  
Ino had decided from the start that she would be the one dressing her, determined to prove vampire boy hadn't completely corrupted her natural charm, but how the hell was _she_ supposed to know what that looked like? She let the debates fly over her head, harmless chatter considering she wouldn't know how much a fool she would look. She was just tired. She'd been staying up late, to wait for Sasuke to return from his patrols, and it was getting to the point where even the ghosts 'felt' more alive than he did. They often stopped by to report to her the temperature of the other planes and their politics, since the major players were often busy if not behind very strong wards. He hadn't had a proper meal in weeks, and it wasn't just her dissatisfaction that made her fidgety. He'd come back to their apartment, not staggering, but each footstep felt so heavy, and he'd all but collapse into bed next to her. He'd only open a thin line over her wrist and drink till it clotted, which she always felt was too soon. She knew he was doing this so nothing would interrupt the actual night of the ball, but she didn't _care_ about that nearly as much as she did him.  
Anemia and insomnia teamed up and she fell asleep in Hanabi's daybed while the others argued over pirates, ninja and samurai.

They said it was the color of frost and moonlight, glamoured to shimmer and sparkle like opals. All she knows is the skirt feels too short and the train is awkward to walk around in. They'd left her alone for the most part, leaving her hair to fall loose; save for scattered beads of cut glass that refracted rainbows of all colors, she is free of decoration. A fine mist hovers about her, to soften her features into a smoky oblivion. She might have felt out of place and underdressed if she had been able to see what other immensely masterful creations grace the Hyuuga. As it is, she simply finds an unobtrusive set of trees and stands there, looking serene. She isn't waiting long.  
"And what are you supposed to be?" A warm hand snakes around her elbow.  
"I'm an abstract existence, as yet unformed and uncontained by thought or expectation. You know, the little wispy grey things you find in the pocket dimensions." She flutters her lashes at the source of the voice.  
"They told me to wish on a star." His breathing into the curve of her neck makes her sigh a little.  
"No, that's the Blue Fairy. Though they could have been lying to me about what I was wearing." She pulls him closer so she can kiss him like she hasn't done for days. "You have a wish?"  
He glances around and growls a whisper into her ear. "The tables here wouldn't be strong enough for that."  
She curls further into him, just so glad he's here. He pulls away to take her hand and tug her toward the nearest exit.  
"The food sucks, we're leaving early."  
"Sasuke, Hanabi had seven different suppliers for tonight—"  
"You can pick at hor d'oeuvres for an hour, or we can go now and have a _real_ meal. One that will," the words are hot against her skin, "sustain you through the rest of the night."  
She can't help blushing, despite how used to it she has become. She allows herself to be drawn away, and pretends not to hear Ino laughing somewhere behind her.

* * *

Sasuke wastes no time when they get back to the apartment. The oven is on and preheating before her left shoe hits the floor. He goes to change out whatever he was wearing so he can start cooking. Her hands wander the kitchen counter. Careful exploration reveals kale and spinach, fresh clams and bloody cuts of beef.  
"Plenty of iron," he says, dispelling the mist with feathery strokes on the pulsing vein in her neck. "Because I'd hate for you to pass out before dessert."  
The promise in his voice liquefies all the bones in her legs and all the sweet aching desire crashes down on her at once. The darkblood thrums in him, when he loosens his control that strength keeps her body flush with his, holds her as she comes apart. And afterward, he is so gentle it hurts in a myriad of wonderful ways. She doesn't mind discovering the bruises and throbbing muscles when she turns on the mattress; they always mean he is running the bath, waiting for her before the mirror, to take her hands and guide them over every inch of cool skin, tickling her hands with healing energy, voice thick with heady words of apology if not regret.

He nudges her toward the living room so he can cook distraction-free and she all but collapses against him, suddenly unable to separate herself from his presence. Something of her desperation must show in her face, because he turns down the heat on the stove and forcefully bends her over the sink. The slide of his teeth into an artery is deliciously sharp and the dull thud of her blood hitting the steel basin is a slow echoing staccato. He rasps something about patience and rewards, but she can't give his words any attention when he is drinking; it is an age old phenomenon, this joining, igniting in her core, coyly grasping darkness tickling at her soul; it is drowning in clouds, swallowing fire and ice, breathing of lust and bubbles.  
She feels him shaking magic into her fingertips and tenderly closing the punctured flesh under his mouth, tongue rubbing along the tapering length of each digit, teeth pricking butterfly kisses. She can't fight back when he carries her out of the kitchen and leaves her on the couch so he can finally sauté the meat.

She refuses wine and champagne and chocolate liqueurs, knowing her boyfriend is a hundred times more sensitive than any DUI device. It's not much, but it's all she can think of to do for him. Ten Ten suggested lingerie, Ino suggested whipped cream, Hanabi told them to get the hell out and Neji radiated disapproval from the next room. It's Valentine's Day, so she had anticoagulants and fruit and chocolate for dipping delivered, and if Sasuke knows, he isn't rushing through dinner anyway.  
He puts away the plates while she is balled up on the sofa, chin to her knees, still in an almost obscenely revealing dress. She hears him set down bowls, presumably filled with fruit, and reaches for the strawberry she knows he will give her. It is halfway in her mouth when his hand brushes against her toes. She doesn't foresee him lifting her ankle to his lips, is surprised when he continues down to the back of her knee, is not expecting to feel his smile through the lace of her roommate-approved panties. It's not until a dozen tiny tingles wrack her body all at once does she realize he has peppered her leg with superficial cuts that cease bleeding after one languorous lick.  
The strawberry falls from her slack hand, to be offered to her once again, held against her mouth in a manner that can only be teasing. Her teeth scrape his nails lightly as she takes it back, although she doesn't get to enjoy it long before Sasuke has her dripping chocolate on the familiar planes of his torso, so they can both appreciate dessert.


End file.
